Saudi Arabia is ready to extradite to Kabul three Afghan security officials it has arrested in connection with the murder of the country's aviation minister, an official said on Saturday. Saudi Arabia will extradite the three men, after receiving a request for such a move from the interim Afghan government, the official said.
Saudi authorities arrested the three Afghans on their arrival on Friday in the western city of Jeddah amongst a group of some 890 Muslim pilgrims who flew in from Kabul aboard two aircraft, he said.
The trio, including the head of National Security's political office, General Abdullah Jan Tawhidi, is wanted in connection with the beating to death of interim Afghan aviation and tourism minister Abdul Rahman.
The other two men were named by interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai as General Qalanderbeg, deputy technical officer in the defence ministry, and Saranwal Haleem, prosecutor in the justice ministry.
Omar Samad, spokesman for the Afghan foreign ministry, said "a number" of people, including government officials, had been rounded up on Saturday. Bureau Report